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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · toast · coach · wound · wake · spring · saw · deal

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a line
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. spring — of water
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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