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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: bear · band · fan · spell · board · suit · coach · spring

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. spring — a coil
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — letters
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a music group
  23. spring — the season
  24. spell — a short time

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