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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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Word bank
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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — to play on

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