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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: can · bulb · charge · saw · clip · spring · coach · stand

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — a video
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — of water
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — a coil

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