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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
468
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 · land · coach · tube · safe · key · wound · chip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. land — a country
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — the cause
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — in music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — of a word

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