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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: coach · cell · bore · leaves · rule · bound · kid · rock

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bound — certain
  8. cell — in biology
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kid — child
  24. bound — obliged

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