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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 124 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: pop · nail · mug · swing · last · kid · key · wound

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pop — to visit
  9. last — to go on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — final
  15. mug — to rob
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kid — child
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — in music

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