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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: bound · mate · bore · chip · wax · coach · chair · swing

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chair — a leader
  16. swing — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — certain
  24. swing — in golf

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