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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: stem · bay · pop · mug · chest · march · fall · coach

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chest — of your body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pop — soda
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fall — the season
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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