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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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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: bay · straw · degree · bore · bound · race · coach · chair

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — from a university
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — tied together
  23. race — humankind
  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