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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: board · nail · lie · fall · snap · band · rush · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to click
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lie — to recline
  8. band — a music group
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. board — a committee
  16. fall — the season
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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