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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: mate · bore · kid · coach · season · saw · wave · fine

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kid — child
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — the tool
  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