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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — the cause
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — to breed

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