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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: wind · bear · stand · temple · root · lash · patient · mouse

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. root — of a word
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. root — of a plant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — moving air

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