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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · nail · saw · file · plane · straw · swing · hand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — in golf
  3. file — a document
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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