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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · nail · spell · perch · leaves · staff · stick · date

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — the fish
  19. date — the fruit
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — a trainer

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