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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: bass · row · lean · root · cap · tube · patient · wound

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — thin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. root — of a word
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to rest against

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