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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.

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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: coach · leaves · hand · face · ball · stem

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. leaves — to go away

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