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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 116 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: patient · row · hide · stem · hand · bass · field · root

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — help
  14. field — a subject
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — of a plant

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