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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: wake · coach · sharp · stem · lie · rest · fine · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. current — electric
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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