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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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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: lie · swing · tube · patient · safe · file · pass · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. file — a tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — the underground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. file — a document
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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