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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · mate · wave · spell · foot · coach · current · cold

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — happening now
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spell — magic
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mate — a friend
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — letters
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cold — not warm

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