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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 116 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: patient · spell · hand · sharp · lash · root · content · current

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — happening now
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — of water
  11. hand — help
  12. current — electric
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spell — letters
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — the amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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