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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 · wound · row · clip · root · ruler · bear · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a line
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. clip — a video

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