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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · bound · pitcher · stock · row · chest · coach · lie

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chest — a box
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. row — a line
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — a thrill

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