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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: row · wound · swing · staff · patient · charge · fan · track

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — in control
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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