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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.

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: bear · trunk · stand · stem · bay · coach · degree · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a car

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