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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lean — thin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. season — of the year
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — soda
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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