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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: stand · coach · bore · rule · chest · spring · calf · key

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — the season
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spring — of water
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — a law
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — to tire
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rule — government
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — in music

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