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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.

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: track · season · kick · racket · staff · patient · root · lean

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — the cause
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — in sport
  11. kick — in football
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — of a plant
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a word
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — thin
  23. season — of the year
  24. racket — a loud noise

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