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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: kick · stem · jam · coach · date · deal · rash · stick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kick — in football
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. date — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — of a plant

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