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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · file · trunk · saw · ball · land · arm · swing

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. file — a document
  7. swing — to play on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

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