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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
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: bore · season · coach · craft · wave · mine · patient · bear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — of the year

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