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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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — a match
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — hasty
  13. field — for sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. root — the cause
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. field — a subject

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