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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: toast · mine · file · patient · saw · pop · coach · present

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — to visit
  15. file — a tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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