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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: board · lash · root · patient · tear · fork · lie · ruler

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — the cause
  3. lie — to recline
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tear — to rip

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