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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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Word bank
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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 · ruler · kick · bear · mouse · tear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. 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