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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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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: race · deal · swing · hide · stick · date · nail · rule

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. race — a contest
  5. rule — government
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rule — a law
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. deal — an agreement

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