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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 120 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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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: patient · wind · racket · craft · tear · root · cell · bowl

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — to rip
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — a phone
  24. root — the cause

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