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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: spring · fan · march · dip · stand · rush · key · coach

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — of water
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — the season
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — music

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