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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · jam · wave · swing · branch · bass · patient · saw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. swing — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. swing — to play on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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