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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: key · stem · mug · last · rest · coach · fan · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a face
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — for catching
  13. key — in music
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — a break
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — finally
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rest — what's left

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