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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.

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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: stand · spring · bank · bound · nail · squash · bear · coach

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — certain
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the sport

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