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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 116 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: hide · rest · club · safe · hand · root · kick · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — help
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — a break
  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