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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: coach · patient · kick · rest · can · land · kid · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. season — of the year
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — in football
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kid — to tease
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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