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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: pop · foot · tear · chest · clip · rule · coach · firm

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — a box
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — decided
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rule — government
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. pop — soda
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — to cut

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