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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: shower · safe · bound · firm · rule · root · mark · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — a series
  7. rule — a law
  8. root — the cause
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — rain
  24. bound — certain

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