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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.

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 · drill · stem · perch · leaves · board · shower · present

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — army training
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — to wash
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — there
  24. drill — a practice

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