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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: racket · coach · charge · patient · craft · drill · tear · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — from crying
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — army training
  18. tear — from crying
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  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