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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 · rock · arm · press · patient · nail · game · swing

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a match
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the vegetable

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