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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
468
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: hand · spell · kid · jam · board · patient · root · file

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. kid — child
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. file — a document
  22. kid — to tease
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — magic

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