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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: hide · season · patient · date · lean · bear · root · wind

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wind — moving air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — in sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — the cause
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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