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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
468
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: toast · lean · mug · cue · bark · net · stick · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bark — to shout
  23. toast — bread
  24. lean — to rest against

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