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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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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to drill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kid — child

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