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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: coach · mug · fine · mate · bore · present · stem · kid

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kid — child
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kid — to tease
  11. present — there
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. present — the time now
  24. stem — of a plant

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