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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: clip · rash · stem · suit · coach · bass · chest · foot

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — low music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. clip — a video
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — part of the body
  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