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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: pass · clip · saw · wake · bore · coach · shower · can

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bore — to drill
  4. clip — a video
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. coach — a trainer

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