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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: mine · temple · hide · tear · root · vault · coach · stock

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. root — of a word
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — goods
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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