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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — to push
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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