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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.

Make a worksheet

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: swing · bark · file · patient · object · straw · mug · jam

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. file — a line of people
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — in golf
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a document
  21. bark — to shout
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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