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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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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — ground
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — to come down
  19. row — a line
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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