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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — a stick
  7. file — a line of people
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. root — of a word
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — thin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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