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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — for sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — in cards
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — a practice

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