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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: roll · bowl · wound · stem · coach · last · shower · kick

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. kick — in football
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stem — to come from
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. last — final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. roll — a cake

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