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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — a stick
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. bat — the animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — 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