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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: patient · firm · swing · drill · tube · cold · staff · bass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. swing — music
  17. cold — not warm
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — a container
  23. firm — steady
  24. cold — an illness

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