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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 · coach · suit · club · wave · mine · calf · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — a group
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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