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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.

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
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 · season · spring · file · toast · jam · coach · bear

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — of water
  6. file — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a line of people
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spring — the season
  24. jam — a tight spot

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