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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: rest · snap · nail · spring · jam · plane · toast · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spring — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. spring — of water
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. toast — bread
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — a coil

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