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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 116 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 · stock · spell · bore · chair · hide · branch · drill

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. branch — a division
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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