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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: stem · hide · foot · bay · root · racket · patient · prune

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a word
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stem — to come from
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. prune — the fruit

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