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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: snap · lie · swing · patient · bank · content · last · mate

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — happy
  10. last — finally
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — to go on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — final
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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