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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: swing · ruler · nail · clip · shower · rest · file · squash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — a break
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. file — a line of people
  23. clip — a video
  24. nail — for a hammer

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