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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 116 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: coach · root · wake · hand · bowl · file · object · mine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wake — a trail
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — of a word
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hand — help
  14. file — a document
  15. hand — in cards
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a tool
  21. object — to protest
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. object — an aim

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