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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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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: root · bark · wax · suit · chip · patient · pound · stem

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — for betting
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — of a word
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — the cause
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. patient — a sick person

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