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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · bore · straw · patient · bulb · rash · coach · rock

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — gave birth

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