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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: lean · bay · date · coach · chair · temple · fine · root

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — thin
  21. root — the cause
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — on the calendar

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