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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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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: swing · straw · rock · spell · net · shower · wax · patient

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — after costs
  6. shower — rain
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. spell — magic
  10. swing — in golf
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wax — to grow

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