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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hand — help
  4. swing — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hand — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rest — a break
  10. key — for a lock
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing

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