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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: roll · stem · spell · last · coach · mug · track · row

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a cup
  6. track — a song
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. last — final
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — a line
  20. last — finally
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. roll — a list

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