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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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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 · last · rest · coach · season · squash · swing · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. squash — the sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. last — to go on
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — what's left
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a hat
  20. last — final
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rest — a break

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