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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: kid · bore · sharp · coach · bound · rush · mark · straw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — to drill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bound — certain
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kid — to tease
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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