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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: spell · wake · stand · foot · rash · swing · fall · patient

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — in golf

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