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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: cue · spring · bank · coach · race · band · nail · current

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — for pool
  10. current — of water
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — a contest
  19. spring — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — electric

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