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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · key · cap · fine · file · coach · patient · foot

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a lid
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. file — a tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fine — all right
  14. foot — a measure
  15. key — the most important part
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. file — a document

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