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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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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: wound · pound · foot · swing · last · spring · object · rush

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. swing — in golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. last — final
  23. object — to protest
  24. foot — a measure

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