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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · calf · cue · bore · coach · fine

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to tire
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality

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