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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: dip · race · march · hide · toast · coach · bore · stem

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — to drill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. race — humankind
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — bread
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — the arms race
  24. march — music

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