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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: lie · present · coach · foot · cell · jam · dip · stem

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — there
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — a gift
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — a measure
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. dip — to sink
  24. foot — part of the body

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