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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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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 · rest · prune · bay · hand · patient · lie · calf

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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