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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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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: spell · coach · leaves · hand · bear · sharp · stock · bore

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spell — magic
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — letters
  15. bore — to tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — goods
  22. hand — help
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — a soup base

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