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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: shower · calf · stick · bear · coach · chair · march · ruler

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chair — a professorship

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