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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · ground · land · bear · bore · mate · arm · coach

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — to come down
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — ground

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