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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: bay · row · wake · wound · coach · bore · fine · drill

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — army training
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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