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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: sharp · rest · root · bat · bulb · patient · foot · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a word
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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