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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: stem · track · firm · leaves · foot · coach · row · calf

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — a line
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. track — a path
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. firm — a company
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — to paddle
  24. firm — steady

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