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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: foot · march · calf · rush · clip · lean · swing · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rush — hurry
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — for paper
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. clip — to cut

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