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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: file · coach · bat · rock · date · lean · hide · patient

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a document
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lean — to rest against

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