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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.

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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: patient · row · bowl · season · mate · coach · bore · rest

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — in sport
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a friend
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a dish

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