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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: chip · bore · coach · arm · rock · key · spell · swing

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — to drill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. swing — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — letters
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — in music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spell — a short time

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