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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 · pop · tube · nail · fall · lie · coach · mark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — the season
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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