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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: bore · hand · pitcher · temple · stem · coach · stick · drill

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — help
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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