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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: wave · clip · sharp · plane · nail · swing · row · ruler

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — a video
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. row — to paddle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — in golf
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. clip — for paper
  24. plane — in geometry

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