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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: wave · band · swing · jam · march · patient · last · lean

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a music group
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. last — to go on
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lean — thin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a ring
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — to rest against

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