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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: perch · last · land · coach · foot · mate · patient · cabinet

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — final
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — ground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — to come down
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. last — to go on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cabinet — ministers

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