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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: dip · pitch · root · wake · tube · key · lash · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a word
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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