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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: bound · rock · saw · coach · bore · racket · chest · craft

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — boats
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — a box

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