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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: present · rash · foot · root · face · coach · ground · patient

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — the cause
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a word
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — to point toward
  11. present — there
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. present — the time now
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — part of the head
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — of a plant

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