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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: cabinet · roll · hand · object · ruler · bear · coach · spell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. roll — a list
  10. spell — magic
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — a thing

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