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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · hide · root · leaves · ruler · field · race · rush

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rush — hurry
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. field — farmland
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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