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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: patient · squash · mouse · pitch · wound · bass · spring · rest

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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