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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: bat · saw · wind · board · dip · nail · swing · stick

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. swing — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — to get on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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