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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: spring · spell · branch · deal · scale · bore · band · coach

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — size or range
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — the season
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — to tire
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — of water
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. deal — a big deal

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