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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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468
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: can · swing · wind · rule · bass · nail · bear · drill

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — to be able to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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