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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · cue · ball · spring · ground · fall · hide · coach

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — magic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ground — a position
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fall — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a signal

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