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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: spring · leaves · bowl · jam · coach · file · bore · stand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — of water
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. file — a document
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — to go away

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