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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: race · object · kick · rash · bark · lie · safe · root

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — a series
  4. root — of a word
  5. kick — in football
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. race — humankind
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — the arms race
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — the cause
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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