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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: bay · spring · clip · temple · suit · rush · coach · staff

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — a video
  5. spring — of water
  6. clip — for paper
  7. spring — a coil
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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