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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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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: rest · wound · mate · kick · toast · root · patient · fan

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wound — an injury

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