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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: leaves · bear · coach · chair · rule · stem

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — a law
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — government

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