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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: root · spring · suit · patient · band · row · ruler · rash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — in cards
  6. row — a line
  7. spring — the season
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. band — a ring
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — the cause
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. band — a music group
  20. spring — a coil
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — a series
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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