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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
468
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: coach · temple · board · spring · land · scale · bark · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spring — a coil
  11. scale — size or range
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — ground

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