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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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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 · fall · chip · swing · safe · squash · bound · snap

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fall — the season
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — in golf
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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