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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 · spring · row · nail · bass · plane · foot · stand

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — the season
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spring — a coil
  21. swing — in golf
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — of water
  24. foot — the bottom

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