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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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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: stem · saw · leaves · bound · coach · squash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stem — to come from
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — obliged

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