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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · foot · swing · ruler · craft · clip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — a video
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. craft — boats

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