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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.

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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: lash · patient · object · coach · can · branch · rule · squash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rule — government
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — to be able to
  22. object — to protest
  23. branch — a division
  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