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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: straw · wax · patient · mine · court · rock · coach · firm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — of a king
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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