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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.

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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: swing · press · plane · hand · mug · fine · date · patient

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — all right
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — the fruit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. press — to push
  19. hand — help
  20. press — a publisher
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. press — newspapers
  23. swing — music
  24. mug — to rob

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