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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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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: patient · roll · root · last · leaves · saw · rule · board

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rule — a law
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a word
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. last — final
  11. rule — government
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. last — finally
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. root — the cause
  22. roll — a cake
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. patient — a sick person

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