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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: lash · mark · tear · jam · land · patient · root · row

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — to rip
  4. land — ground
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tear — from crying

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