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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
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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 · march · date · prune · hide · swing · kick · face

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. date — the fruit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. march — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to confront
  23. march — the month
  24. prune — the fruit

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