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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: net · nail · trunk · dip · staff · kick · chip · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — in football
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to sink
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. swing — music

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