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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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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: row · patient · season · root · pound · mark · straw · rest

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — the cause
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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