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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
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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: patient · can · coach · field · lean · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. field — farmland
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — there
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — a sick person

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