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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: coach · can · march · stem · lie · plane · wake · mouse

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — a trainer

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