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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
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: perch · rash · spring · board · leaves · tear · coach · root

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — of a word
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a committee
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — the cause
  19. spring — the season
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. tear — from crying

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