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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: trunk · wound · swing · shower · mug · patient · pop · firm

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pop — music
  24. firm — a company

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