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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: bear · bass · lean · cap · ground · safe · present · root

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a word
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — thin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. present — the time now
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — to bend
  17. root — the cause
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bear — the animal

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