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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a word
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. firm — decided
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a music group
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cold — not warm
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. leaves — lets stay

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