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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 116 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 · bear · mine · safe · straw · fall · nail · degree

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — the season
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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