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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: present · stem · wave · lean · stick · march · coach · bore

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lean — thin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. march — music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. present — there
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — of the sea

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