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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 120 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
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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: bulb · snap · chair · ruler · spring · coach · row · spell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. row — to paddle
  5. snap — to click
  6. spring — of water
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — a short time
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — for light

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