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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: coach · date · nail · chest · rush · root · bay · stock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. root — of a word
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — a box
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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