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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · coach · racket · mine · lie · drill · land · key

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — a practice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — army training
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — ground
  24. mine — an explosive

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