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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.

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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: straw · prune · bulb · wound · board · mug · coach · patient

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mug — to rob
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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