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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: foot · staff · rush · chest · coach · stem · nail · pitcher

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — the bottom

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