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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: stem · hide · staff · race · saw · root · capital · coach

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. root — the cause
  15. race — humankind
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — a contest
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — a stick
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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