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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: leaves · wound · arm · cap · coach · drill · pitcher · stem

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — to come from
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. arm — part of the body

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