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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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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: patient · arm · swing · lie · temple · cap · wind · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. swing — to play on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — of ice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mouse — the animal

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