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

Word bank: bear · patient · nail · kid · lash · arm · root · saw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — to tease
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. root — of a word

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