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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: squash · swing · object · bass · wake · present · lean · patient

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. object — to protest
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — low music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — there
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — an aim
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — a trail

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