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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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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: ball · coach · stem · board · kick · wind · snap · current

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — electric
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. board — to get on
  16. snap — to click
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — a committee
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — a stem cell

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