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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: patient · jam · swing · can · ruler · tube · snap · roll

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a list
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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