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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: hand · coach · lie · lean · bore · root · stock · pound

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

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