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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: kick · cabinet · wave · patient · bark · coach · jam · spring

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bark — to shout
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — a coil
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cabinet — ministers

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