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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: patient · lean · dip · foot · coach · key · toast · club

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — bread
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. club — a group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. toast — the most admired

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