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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: mine · wound · patient · spring · coach · jam · deal · bear

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — to handle
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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