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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — of a word
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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