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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
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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: calf · coach · season · rule · bore · chest · drill · stand

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — to tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — government
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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