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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: bay · leaves · coach · bowl · date · spring · chest · band

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chest — a box
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spring — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. band — a music group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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