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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: stem · bear · coach · date · rush · swing · mark · row

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stem — to come from
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — to put up with

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