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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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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: staff · cell · leaves · coach · mate · cap · toast · bore

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in biology
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a lid
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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