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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 · root · rule · patient · bat · stand · bore · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — the cause
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. root — of a word
  22. rule — government
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bore — to tire

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