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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. kick — in football
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. swing — music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — a country

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