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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to tire
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — to come from
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — magic
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. march — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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