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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: jam · suit · shower · spring · wave · coach · stick · tube

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spring — of water
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — the underground
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — the season
  24. jam — a tight spot

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