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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 116 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: safe · bark · saw · hide · degree · wave · root · cue

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a word
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — from a university

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