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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — the month
  4. kid — to tease
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — the month
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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