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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 · bore · clip · net · stem · mug · nail

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — to tire
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. clip — to cut
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a cup
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — in sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — a video

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