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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · root · foot · march · bay · spell · safe · hide

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — letters
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — the bottom

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