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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · straw · foot · chip · root · safe · pop · tear

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — of a plant
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. root — the cause
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a word
  19. pop — soda
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com