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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: coach · stick · cell · stand · spell · land · rock · kick

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — magic
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. land — to come down
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spell — letters
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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