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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: cue · coach · fall · spell · fan · bear · saw · mouse

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. cue — a signal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fall — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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