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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 · bulb · safe · wake · coach · kid · face · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — to confront
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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