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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: fork · safe · lean · wake · coach · scale · stem · present

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — to come from
  8. scale — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — a gift
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. present — there
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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