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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: nail · hide · plane · ruler · club · swing · season · rash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — of the year
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — a series
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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