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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cell — in biology
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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