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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 120 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 · foot · cold · press · net · fan · firm · patient

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — steady
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — to push
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. coach — a trainer

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