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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.

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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: toast · saw · lean · coach · ruler · arm · patient · vault

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — a safe
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. toast — bread
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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