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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: wound · hand · stick · patient · coach · suit · race · pass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. race — the arms race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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