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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: rule · chair · kid · key · pound · safe · root · rush

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pound — a weight
  9. key — in music
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — a leader
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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