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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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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 · swing · mate · tube · pit · stem · fall · cabinet

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — the season
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — to breed
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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