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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: mouse · can · bowl · plane · bat · swing · patient · straw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — the animal

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