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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: toast · stick · staff · mark · coach · pop · calf · chest

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chest — a box
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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