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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: roll · cabinet · kid · lean · patient · hide · pound · root

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — a list
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — of a word
  24. pound — for dogs

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