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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.

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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: club · bark · last · coach · leaves · patient · nail · firm

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady
  19. club — a group
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for golf
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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