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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: coach · stem · wound · leaves · sharp · bear · board · net

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — to put up with

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