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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — magic
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a committee
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spell — a short time
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — letters

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