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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: dip · march · coach · temple · root · stand · wind · season

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — of the year
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — in sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a word
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — on your feet

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