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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 116 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
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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: spell · suit · nail · saw · clip · coach · march · spring

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — clothes
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. march — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — the season
  16. spell — magic
  17. clip — to cut
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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