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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · board · patient · root · leaves · sharp · branch · foot

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — a measure
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a word
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — of a bank

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