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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.

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: patient · swing · squash · hide · file · coach · mouse · clip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. clip — a video
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — to play on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. file — a tool

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