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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.

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: mouse · file · rock · patient · drill · wave · spell · swing

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. drill — army training
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — in golf
  14. spell — a short time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. swing — music

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