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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: mine · can · spell · club · snap · swing · patient · chip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — for digging
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — magic
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — a short time
  20. club — for golf
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for dancing
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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