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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: ball · toast · sharp · lie · stand · hand · coach · stem

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. toast — bread
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stem — to come from
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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