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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: wave · coach · chair · fork · perch · bore · lie · can

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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