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

Word bank: bound · spell · coach · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer

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