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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: last · march · bore · arm · coach · spring · chip · rock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — a stone
  3. last — final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — finally
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. march — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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