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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: coach · present · mine · mouse · lean · hide · bore · row

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — there
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — a line
  20. present — a gift
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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