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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: bore · mouse · hide · rule · coach · cabinet · spell · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — letters
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — government
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — magic
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — for a computer

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