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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
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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: last · staff · bound · coach · suit · sharp · fan · spring

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — a coil
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — clothes
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — certain
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fan — a supporter

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