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

Word bank: lean · bulb · root · last · file · stem · patient · shower

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. root — the cause
  3. shower — to wash
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — rain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. file — a document
  23. last — final
  24. lean — to bend

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