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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: straw · rest · toast · coach · patient · plane · stand · hide

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rest — a break
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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