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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: firm · ground · patient · kick · coach · straw · wound · deal

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — a position
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. firm — a company
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — in football
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. firm — decided
  24. deal — a big deal

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