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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a line of people
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — help
  21. file — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hand — in cards

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