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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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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 · rule · shower · bore · toast · track · temple · bound

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — a law
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bound — certain
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — tied together
  12. toast — bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — government
  16. shower — rain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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