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

Word bank: bore · coach · tear · pass · bound · cabinet · snap · club

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — a group
  16. bore — to tire
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bore — gave birth

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