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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 120 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: foot · chest · hide · fine · board · pit · swing · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fine — all right
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — a hole
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — a box
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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