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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 · bound · staff · band · charge · present · bore · rush

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. present — there
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — the time now
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a ring
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — tied together
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — to drill
  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