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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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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: roll · bore · coach · cue · stem · toast · fall · cap

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. roll — a cake
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. roll — a list
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. toast — bread
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — the most admired

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