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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: leaves · fall · wake · stem · chip · drill · bound · coach

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bound — obliged
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chip — to eat

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