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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: patient · racket · last · march · swing · squash · vault · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — to crush
  3. swing — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — a sick person

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