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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. root — of a plant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — a hint
  24. last — finally

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