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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · bark · root · safe · game · calf · patient · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. root — the cause
  3. game — wild animals
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. clip — for paper
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. root — of a word
  10. bark — to shout
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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