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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: chest · straw · current · patient · mark · rush · hide · swing

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — electric
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — happening now
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — a grade

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