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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: bore · kick · leaves · coach · fork · tube · patient · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. tube — in a tire

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