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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 120 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: ground · coach · bank · spring · mine · wound · rush · ruler

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — a position
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — the season
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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