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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: lean · race · mouse · fan · fork · clip · stem · coach

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. clip — for paper
  5. race — a contest
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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