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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.

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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: band · snap · object · toast · patient · swing · cap · wind

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. snap — to click
  9. cap — a hat
  10. band — a ring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — in golf
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. toast — bread
  19. object — a thing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — to protest
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a lid

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