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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
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: coach · fork · rash · perch · spring · mate · rush · bowl

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — a series
  7. spring — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — hasty
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  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