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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
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: patient · swing · deal · perch · jam · nail · plane · mine

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. swing — to play on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — for a hammer

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