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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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468
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: shower · key · ruler · swing · chip · bore · coach · trunk

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. key — the most important part

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