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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · wave · root · sharp · face · patient · bulb · court

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. face — to confront
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to point toward
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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