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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 120 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: patient · wave · foot · hide · fine · kid · pop · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kid — child
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fine — all right
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — to play on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — high quality
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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