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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 116 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: coach · bound · rock · patient · nail · ground · dip · lash

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — a position
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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