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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — army training
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — a trail
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — part of the head
  15. drill — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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