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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. land — to come down
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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