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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bowl · cabinet · root · hand · coach · rest · rash · plane

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a word
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — what's left
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — the cause

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