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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: patient · swing · snap · pop · pass · squash · bank · nail

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. swing — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  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