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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: bowl · leaves · chip · mouse · straw · fan · patient · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — to roll

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