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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: rush · coach · stand · wake · calf · mate · rest · stem

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — what's left

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