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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 116 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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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: stem · coach · rock · wave · can · ruler · clip · cell

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — a video
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cell — a phone

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