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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: rest · coach · can · ruler · mouse · spring · content · stem

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — happy
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — the amount
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — a monarch

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