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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: spring · spell · coach · pop · row · leaves · chest · hide

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — a line
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — soda
  19. chest — of your body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — a coil
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pop — to visit

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