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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: mine · staff · stick · lash · root · pitcher · patient · bear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — the cause
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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