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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: coach · mark · firm · ruler · pass · spell · root · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. firm — steady
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — to pay attention

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