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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: leaves · coach · kick · court · nail · mine · land · patient

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. land — a country
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. court — of a king
  24. kick — with a leg

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