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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: root · staff · trunk · sharp · patient · row · present · stick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. present — there
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — a stick
  7. present — the time now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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