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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 120 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: patient · last · fan · wave · fine · coach · fork · bore

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. last — to go on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. last — final
  24. bore — to drill

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