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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: stick · patient · mate · wake · present · mouse · can · coach

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — there
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mate — a partner
  24. coach — a trainer

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