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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: coach · swing · leaves · stem · saw · land · suit · snap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — a country
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. swing — to play on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. suit — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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