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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. swing — to play on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — music

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