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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 120 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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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: last · coach · present · cabinet · spell · safe · bay · sharp

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — a gift
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. last — to go on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — letters
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — the time now
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — there
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spell — magic
  24. safe — out of danger

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