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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 120 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: rest · stick · coach · bulb · dip · foot · patient · nail

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  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