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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: mate · track · leaves · coach · kick · bear · bore · lash

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kick — in football
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — a song

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