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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bore — to tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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