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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: fan · mouse · root · face · patient · pound · row · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. row — to paddle
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — a line
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — of a word

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