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

Word bank: rule · lash · present · coach · ruler · club · wake · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — government
  6. present — a gift
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — there
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — a law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. present — the time now
  19. club — for golf
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — a group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. root — of a plant

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