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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: root · prune · current · calf · cap · safe · patient · last

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — electric
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a hat
  12. root — the cause
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — happening now

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