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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
468
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: drill · spell · arm · racket · file · patient · bass · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a document
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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