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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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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 · bark · bore · toast · chair · stick · ruler · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bore — to tire
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — bread
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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