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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
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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: patient · coach · mate · pass · track · craft · hand · kid

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — boats
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. track — a song
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hand — help
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mate — a friend
  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