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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: rest · last · hide · root · bowl · kick · safe · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. last — finally
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rest — a break
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — to go on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. last — final
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — what's left
  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