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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: toast · root · fall · chest · pound · racket · patient · nail

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a plant
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fall — the season
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — the cause
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — bread
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a word
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chest — of your body

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