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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — there
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — a subject
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. root — the cause
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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