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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · fan · degree · wake · patient · swing · dip · arm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — from a university
  12. swing — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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