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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 you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — to shout
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to click

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