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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: wind · bark · spring · coach · cue · fork · nail · dip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — the season
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wind — moving air

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