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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: tube · drill · root · deal · patient · perch · fan · leaves

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — the tool

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