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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: spring · spell · bat · coach · cue · mate · wave · leaves

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spell — magic
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spring — of water
  24. mate — a partner

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