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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 · mark · bore · rule · track · tear · lie · chest

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — government
  4. lie — to recline
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — from crying

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