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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 · stem · straw · deal · stick · drill · leaves · season

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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