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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: can · patient · face · foot · lean · pass · net · coach

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. 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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — a permit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — after costs
  24. 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