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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — a position
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — a thing
  17. fall — the season
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a song
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — an aim

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