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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 116 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: patient · swing · wound · band · ruler · chip · wave · club

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — for betting
  15. band — a music group
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. swing — music

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