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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: sharp · row · coach · deal · rest · staff · stem · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a line
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. row — to paddle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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