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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: coach · row · bear · kick · chair · rule

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — to paddle
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — in football
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kick — a thrill

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