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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: bear · bore · stem · band · craft · kid · coach · suit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. band — a music group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — to tease
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. suit — in cards
  24. craft — a skill

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