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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · bore · cap · coach · safe · mine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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