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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.

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: coach · hide · cold · stem · ball · swing · track · foot

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cold — not warm
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. swing — in golf
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — to keep track

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