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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cap — of ice
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. swing — 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