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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: safe · foot · roll · kid · root · shower · cue · toast

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. toast — bread
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kid — child
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kid — to tease
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. roll — a list
  12. root — the cause
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cue — a hint
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a word
  24. roll — a cake

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