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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: ball · coach · sharp · arm · spring · bay · leaves · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — for measuring

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