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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: fall · capital · coach · stem · rush · bulb · suit · bound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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