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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 116 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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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: file · saw · lean · lash · clip · band · swing · patient

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to bend
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. clip — to cut
  19. file — a tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — thin
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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