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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: row · squash · spell · tube · coach · stem · cabinet · mark

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — magic

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