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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 · trunk · bay · coach · rush · fork · net · stem

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — in sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — the most admired

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