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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: stock · mate · bass · straw · coach · bore · wave · saw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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