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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: hide · spring · coach · lean · patient · mouse · wax · stock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — thin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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