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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.

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: lean · rash · degree · bay · spring · root · coach · club

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rash — a series
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spring — the season
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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