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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 · rest · coach · bay · bulb · land · bore · cue

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — a signal
  4. land — to come down
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — to drill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. root — of a word
  24. bay — a horse colour

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