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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of law
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to click
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — there

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