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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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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: rash · root · season · foot · staff · rush · patient · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. season — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rash — a series
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — a stick
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — of the year

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