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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.

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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: content · rush · ruler · rest · spring · coach · chair · bowl

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — of water
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rest — what's left

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