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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: patient · safe · cabinet · mark · march · swing · band · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mark — a grade
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — to pay attention

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