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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: spell · march · bore · coach · cue · can · fall · bear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. can — a tin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — magic
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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