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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · ruler · season · rash · lie · stock · coach · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. season — of the year
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — the cause
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — a series

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