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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: pound · mouse · pop · can · spring · row · coach · lie

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spring — a coil
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — the season
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — soda
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pound — a weight
  22. can — a tin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pop — to visit

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