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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: date · toast · object · tear · chip · plane · patient · coach

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — for betting
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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