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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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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: foot · patient · root · snap · kick · coach · suit · cue

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — a measure
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cue — a signal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. suit — clothes

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