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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: rash · content · safe · chest · root · tear · bowl · track

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — a song
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — to rip
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chest — a box
  13. root — the cause
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — a series
  19. root — of a word
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — a football final

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