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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: swing · patient · capital · rash · squash · kick · row · rock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. row — a line
  17. capital — a city
  18. squash — to crush
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — in football
  24. capital — money

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