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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
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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: kid · last · coach · rock · spring · patient · present · lie

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spring — a coil
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. present — the time now
  11. last — finally
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — there
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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