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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: dip · snap · wound · stick · swing · stem · nail · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — to come from
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — to play on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to click
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — in golf
  24. dip — to dunk

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