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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · last · bear · coach · pop · rush · rest · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kick — in football
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. stem — to come from

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