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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 120 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: straw · patient · face · coach · net · prune · mug · mouse

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — in sport
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — to rob
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — a face
  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