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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: root · game · tube · stem · fine · sharp · kid · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — high quality
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stem — to come from
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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