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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: sharp · ball · swing · patient · dip · mouse · chest · game

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. swing — in golf

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