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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 116 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: degree · season · pass · key · bank · straw · coach · patient

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. key — in music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — of the year
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. degree — temperature
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — an amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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