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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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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: ground · tear · pass · root · cap · patient · key · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tear — to rip

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