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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
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: coach · chip · mine · fall · ground · patient · can · bear

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fall — to drop
  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