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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: suit · root · leaves · rest · content · hide · coach · cold

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cold — an illness
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cold — not warm
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — the amount
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. root — of a word
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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