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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
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: bore · coach · wake · spring · march · staff · toast · rest

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — a stick
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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