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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
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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: bound · spring · coach · mine · spell · suit · date · shower

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — the season
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — magic
  16. suit — clothes
  17. date — the fruit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — in cards
  21. shower — rain
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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