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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 · kick · fork · cabinet · wax · stem · bear · stand

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — to bear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — to eat 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