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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 120 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: rest · safe · lean · row · spring · deal · bore · root

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — the cause
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spring — the season
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — of water
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — to paddle

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