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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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Word bank
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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 · spell · swing · last · can · snap · staff · ground

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — final
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — a position
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. swing — in golf
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — finally
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — on a finger

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