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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · coach · current · craft · mate · land · kid · wave

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kid — to tease
  6. current — of water
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — happening now
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — a skill

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