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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: hand · arm · hide · swing · mug · file · racket · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. swing — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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