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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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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: mouse · cell · fine · patient · wound · swing · bay · lash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. swing — in golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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