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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 116 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 · drill · patient · firm · staff · race · nail · root

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — a series
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — a contest
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — the arms race
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — hasty

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