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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 120 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: hand · bear · rule · kick · chair · bore · coach · cap

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — in football
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rule — a law
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kick — a thrill
  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