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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: rock · root · lean · nail · charge · field · patient · foot

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. field — farmland
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — in control
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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