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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: swing · foot · game · nail · plane · band · wound · mug

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a music group
  3. foot — a measure
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. game — a match
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. band — a ring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a cup
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — a face
  22. swing — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — on a finger

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