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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: patient · fine · foot · coach · clip · squash · leaves · season

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — a measure
  9. clip — a video
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — for paper
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fine — all right

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