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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: suit · cap · bat · coach · rest · foot · wake · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cap — a lid
  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