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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: hand · kick · coach · mark · stem · bowl · lie · kid

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — help
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kid — child
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — in football

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