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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: stick · hide · coach · can · patient · squash · spell · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — to crush
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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