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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — of a word
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — the season
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — for sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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