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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: patient · root · file · deal · spring · rush · wound · court

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — for sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a line of people
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — the season
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of a king
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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