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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: hide · spring · race · coach · ruler · plane · shower · bowl

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — the arms race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spring — a coil
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — animal skin

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