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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 116 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: coach · sharp · bore · cabinet · ball · rule · bay · clip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — government
  12. clip — to cut
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — a law
  19. clip — a video
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

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