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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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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: rock · stem · kid · rest · mug · foot · coach · fork

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — child
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — a cup
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rest — a break
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rock — music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — what's left

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