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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.

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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: bore · coach · press · roll · bound · mate · bass · wave

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — a publisher
  8. roll — a list
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — to breed

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