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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: clip · fall · can · mouse · spring · stock · coach · press

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. clip — to cut
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spring — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. clip — for paper
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. can — to be able to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — shares

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