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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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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 · lean · kid · rest · stem · bowl · roll · coach

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — a break
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. roll — a list
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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