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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: spell · bore · patient · rest · mark · march · swing · bay

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — letters
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — magic

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