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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: field · stem · hand · wind · coach · suit · toast · kick

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. suit — in cards
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. field — a subject
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wind — moving air
  24. toast — bread

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