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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: bay · safe · sharp · root · lash · cue · game · stem

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. game — wild animals
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — clever
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stem — of a plant

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