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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
468
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: coach · fine · spring · suit · ruler · bulb · cold · stem

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — the season
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — of water
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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