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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · root · spell · coach · swing · field · lean · content

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. content — happy
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. root — of a word
  12. field — farmland
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — to play on

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