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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: craft · hide · key · patient · cabinet · race · bay · coach

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — a contest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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