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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 120 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: kick · coach · bound · chair · fan · stem · mouse · spring

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spring — of water
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — in football
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — with a leg

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