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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · stem · cold · coach · leaves · board · squash · rash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. board — to get on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — a series
  18. cold — an illness
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stem — to come from
  21. toast — bread
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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