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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · coach · race · kick · patient · season · mine · bound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bound — tied together
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — in football
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — of the year
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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