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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: wake · bound · coach · fan · chip · deal · saw · spring

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — obliged
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — of water
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — for betting

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