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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
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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: lean · lash · toast · chair · root · roll · pitcher · patient

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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