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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.

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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: rule · spell · hand · bear · date · bore · file · coach

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — letters
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. file — a line of people
  24. hand — help

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