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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: stem · deal · lash · game · safe · snap · present · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — wild animals
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a word
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. game — a match
  24. present — the time now

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