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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: root · foot · safe · pass · degree · hide · content · dip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pass — a permit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — the cause
  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