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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: present · bore · perch · mate · object · coach · hide · march

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. present — a gift
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — to tire

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