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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: dip · spring · staff · track · bank · row · ruler · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spring — a coil
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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