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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: mouse · ruler · key · coach · snap · rule · spell · spring

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — a law
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spell — magic
  12. spring — of water
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spell — letters
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rule — government
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spring — the season

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