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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 124 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: wind · saw · root · fine · mark · safe · rest · bore

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — high quality
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. root — of a word

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