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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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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: wake · safe · root · mine · tear · rush · fine · game

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fine — high quality
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — the cause
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. game — wild animals

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