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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · patient · root · press · bat · ground · trunk · rock

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bat — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — the earth
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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