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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: bank · racket · stem · coach · hide · spring · date · patient

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spring — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — of water
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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