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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: coach · bore · season · wake · mug · rush · perch · vault

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — of the year
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — a trail
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — in sport

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