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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: rule · jam · swing · arm · nail · plane · net · fan

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — in golf
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rule — a law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — in sport
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — an aircraft

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