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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — boats
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. arm — a part of something

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