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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 116 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: wave · pit · ball · patient · coach · lean · tube · present

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pit — a hole
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — thin

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