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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 120 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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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: foot · season · branch · root · coach · wake · bound · lash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — in sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a word
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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