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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
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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: bore · squash · mate · temple · coach · jam · board · cold

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cold — not warm
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — to get on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the vegetable

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