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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 · hide · stem · lie · pitch · mug · shower · jam

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — to come from
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lie — to recline

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