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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · season · stand · spring · squash · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spring — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — a coil
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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