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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: swing · row · nail · ground · cue · wound · tube · kid

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kid — child
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — a container
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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