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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: hide · toast · bear · chair · march · key · pass · coach

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. march — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — in music
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pass — to succeed

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