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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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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 · lash · stem · court · stand · coach · kid · rest

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. court — of a king
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — of law
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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