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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · nail · hide · bark · hand · temple · field · craft

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — to play on
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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