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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: last · season · wake · calf · swing · mug · cap · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — of the year
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a face
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  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