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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: rule · hide · coach · cabinet · sharp · fan · bear · bound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — a law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rule — government
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bound — tied together

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