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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: cell · spell · coach · spring · rule · racket · safe · race

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spring — the season
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — a law
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — in biology
  18. race — humankind
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spell — letters
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rule — government
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. coach — a trainer

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