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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kid — child
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — there
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to tire
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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