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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: bore · stem · jam · stick · rash · file · coach · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — hasty
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. file — a document
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. file — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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