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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: fine · hand · swing · clip · branch · ruler · net · nail

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — a video
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — help
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — all right
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — for paper
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — after costs
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — for catching

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