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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: cabinet · bound · patient · wave · mine · wake · coach · squash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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