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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: leaves · bound · ruler · dip · capital · season · coach · bore

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — certain
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — money
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — a trainer

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