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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 · safe · chip · last · spell · race · patient

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — magic
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — a contest
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — letters
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. race — the arms race

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