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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a leader
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — bread
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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