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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: object · coach · stick · bear · spring · roll · file · scale

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. file — a line of people
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. object — to protest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. roll — a list
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. object — a thing
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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