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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: can · ground · patient · leaves · root · land · row · wave

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. root — of a word
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — to be able to
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. land — to come down
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. ground — the earth
  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