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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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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: nail · wind · hide · plane · cell · swing

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — in golf

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