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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 124 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bark — of a tree

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