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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: hand · saw · root · safe · bark · cabinet · pop · pass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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