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

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — a division
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — on a finger

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