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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 120 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 · hand · object · deal · spring · swing · lie · wave

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — to handle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — the season
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. swing — in golf

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