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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: nail · rush · stick · squash · toast · cell · patient · coach

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. toast — bread

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