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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: season · bay · trunk · patient · march · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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