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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · spell · file · swing · mouse · patient · object · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — to protest
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — an aim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — magic
  9. last — final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. face — to confront
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spell — letters

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