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

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — a gift
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chest — a box
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. swing — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. present — the time now
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. present — there

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