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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: stem · coach · cold · foot · chair · mug · saw · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — not warm
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mug — a cup
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mug — a face
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mug — to rob
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — an illness
  23. toast — bread
  24. saw — the tool

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