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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 · patient · object · snap · straw · cell

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. object — to protest
  6. swing — to play on
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in biology
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cell — a phone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to click

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