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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: firm · patient · season · trunk · cold · cabinet · root · face

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — steady
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — part of the head
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. cold — not warm
  19. root — of a word
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. cabinet — ministers

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