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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: sharp · face · patient · hand · rest · straw · root · mark

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hand — in cards
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. face — to confront

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