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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: calf · ground · patient · cell · tear · stick · root · mate

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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