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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: lean · coach · firm · rush · wake · kid · patient · squash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. firm — steady
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — a company
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — child
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — decided
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — to tease
  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