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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — to get on
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — music

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