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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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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: key · nail · face · current · saw · clip · swing · can

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. face — to confront
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — in golf

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