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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: swing · ground · suit · hide · land · patient · rock · bank

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — ground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — to fit
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — the earth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ground — a position
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — in cards
  24. swing — music

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