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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: plane · swing · wave · racket · spell · saw · stick · patient

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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