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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 120 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: wound · stem · bore · cap · coach · wake · chair · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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