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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · wound · spell · bore · field · coach · charge · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — a subject
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — a stick
  24. spell — letters

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