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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 116 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: pass · bay · patient · ball · row · swing · wave · mine

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a great time
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ball — a round shape

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