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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.

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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: present · lie · patient · arm · march · mark · rule · swing

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a trace
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. swing — music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. march — music
  24. arm — a part of something

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