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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: coach · bowl · root · temple · straw · mark · foot · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. file — a line of people
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — a trace
  11. file — a document
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — to roll

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