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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: track · coach · patient · dip · press · row · straw · fan

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. track — to keep track
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — newspapers
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a song
  22. row — to paddle
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. straw — dry grass

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