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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · stem · firm · wake · lie · patient · board · craft

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — decided
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. craft — boats
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stem — a stem cell

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