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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: cell · root · safe · ground · wave · pit · dip · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — a phone

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