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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 120 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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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: rest · root · plane · patient · present · ground · club · lash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. present — there
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. ground — a position
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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