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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.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — the cause
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — letters
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word

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