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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 120 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
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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: board · root · chair · scale · rush · leaves · rash · spring

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — the cause
  17. chair — a leader
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a committee
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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