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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: bore · wound · perch · mug · coach · current · last · stick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — to tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — to go on
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — finally
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — final
  14. current — electric
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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