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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 120 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
468
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: safe · field · ball · scale · shower · arm · lash · root

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. shower — rain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — out of danger

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