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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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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: mate · rest · snap · race · perch · bore · coach · stand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — a contest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. race — humankind
  20. snap — to click
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — the fish
  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