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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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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: rash · calf · safe · mine · root · ground · last · prune

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — finally
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. last — final
  11. root — the cause
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a word
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — on the skin

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