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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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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: snap · nail · row · mate · plane · swing · club · hide

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. snap — to click
  7. mate — a partner
  8. swing — to play on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. row — a line

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