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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · craft · patient · temple · rush · root · board · drill

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — hurry

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