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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 120 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: file · calf · tear · stand · season · content · bore · coach

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. file — a tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. file — a line of people
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. file — a document
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. content — happy
  24. bore — to tire

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