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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: pound · tear · root · coach · patient · cell · row · vault

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — a safe
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — a line
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. root — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cell — a phone
  24. tear — from crying

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