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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · cold · track · saw · chair · hide · root · trunk

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cold — not warm
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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