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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: nail · bass · arm · row · cap · bulb · swing · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  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