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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 120 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: coach · rest · wind · firm · pit · stem

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — steady
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — a hole
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — in a race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rest — what's left

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