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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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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: root · stock · safe · land · coach · lean · hide · spring

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — shares
  6. root — the cause
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — ground
  12. root — of a word
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lean — thin
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. land — a country
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — a coil

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