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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.

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: bound · ruler · coach · root · row · cabinet · spell · march

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a line
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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