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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: rush · calf · temple · bat · root · pop · safe · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — soda
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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