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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: mug · nail · date · swing · arm · roll · leaves · band

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. swing — music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — a face
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. roll — a list
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. band — a ring

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