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

Word bank: wind · chest · ruler · nail · swing · wake

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ruler — for measuring

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