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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: patient · race · suit · bass · swing · spell · arm · lean

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — thin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — a short time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bass — the fish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. swing — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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