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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: chip · bay · tear · toast · nail · swing

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tear — to rip
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. toast — bread

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