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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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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. patient — a sick person

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