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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 · arm · cabinet · roll · nail · hand · bulb · racket

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. roll — a list
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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