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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: bear · patient · drill · swing · tube · nail · snap · band

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. patient — a sick person

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