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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: squash · swing · patient · mate · spring · nail · bat · bulb

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — the season
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — to play on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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