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

Word bank: swing · bay · march · trunk · rule · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rule — government
  14. march — music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. swing — to play on

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