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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: last · patient · club · prune · root · object · rash · wave

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — finally
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. last — to go on
  10. club — for golf
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. last — final
  17. rash — a series
  18. club — a group
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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