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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: branch · mug · season · capital · coach · lash · root · patient

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — of a word
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — of the year
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — money
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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