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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: saw · cold · coach · wax · pound · mine · lean · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lean — thin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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