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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: wave · wound · bass · swing · chest · mouse · patient · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. swing — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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