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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.

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: plane · straw · bore · fan · clip · swing · deal · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. swing — in golf
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to drill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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