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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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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: hide · field · perch · mate · safe · land · rest · root

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. land — ground
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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