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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 116 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: bear · trunk · patient · present · root · bore · saw · fine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — a gift
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — there
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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