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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: saw · club · coach · kick · shower · arm · spring · rush

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — the season
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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