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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — steady
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — rain
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — to eat
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — a company
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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