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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · spell · swing · patient · squash · can · file · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a document
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chest — a box
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spell — magic
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spell — letters
  22. file — a tool
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — a short time

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