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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lean — thin
  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