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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 120 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: row · patient · spell · net · root · board · bore · hide

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — the cause
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. row — a line
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. root — of a word
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — magic
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a plant

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