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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: racket · lash · root · bear · last · spring · rest · coach

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. last — finally
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — a coil
  24. coach — a trainer

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