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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
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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: coach · calf · chair · face · safe · toast · stock · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. chair — a leader
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — to confront
  10. toast — bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. face — part of the head
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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