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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: chip · spell · bound · wave · spring · bulb · coach · stand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — of water
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — the season
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — obliged

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