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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: bay · tear · can · rest · content · root · safe · row

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tear — to rip
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — to paddle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — a break
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — the amount
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — what's left

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