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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: staff · stem · object · bat · calf · patient · pass · root

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — to protest
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — an aim
  17. root — of a word
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — a young animal

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