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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. swing — to play on
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a committee

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