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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
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: coach · mug · track · bore · land · clip · saw · hide

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. clip — for paper
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mug — a face
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — a trainer

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