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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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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: nail · bear · leaves · bound · patient · degree · root · last

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — temperature
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. last — to go on

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