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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: stem · staff · coach · kid · land · bound · mate · tube

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — certain
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — a country
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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