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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 116 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: last · season · cabinet · lie · kid · racket · root · coach

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — to recline
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — to tease
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — final

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