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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · lash · racket · degree · leaves · band · season · patient

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. degree — from a university
  3. band — a ring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — temperature
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

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