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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: stick · deal · leaves · spring · rush · coach · chest · land

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — a country
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — of water
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — ground
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — to hurry

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