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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · net · fall · coach · root · bulb · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — for catching
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — the cause
  24. stem — of a plant

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