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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: spring · stick · scale · race · pass · coach · fall · nail

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fall — the season
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — humankind

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