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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: band · patient · mark · leaves · swing · hand · lean · toast

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a ring
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — to play on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. toast — bread
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — a trace

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