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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: toast · patient · ground · lie · lash · root · bear · calf

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — the earth

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