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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: arm · saw · stock · nail · swing · net · spell · leaves

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. net — for catching
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stock — a soup base

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