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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.

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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: hide · game · deal · swing · clip · ruler · hand · mouse

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — to play on
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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