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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: can · swing · nail · chip · calf · hide · face · bass

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — to confront
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — to eat

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