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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: rash · fall · bound · bass · plane · coach · chair · suit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — certain
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bass — low music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fall — the season
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — obliged

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