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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: pound · roll · plane · key · rash · swing · snap · calf

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — in music
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — a series
  17. plane — a tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — a weight
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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