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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. root — of a word
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — all right
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — thin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — the cause

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