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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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468
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: stem · kid · branch · key · swing · squash · nail · bound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — obliged
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. stem — to come from
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. squash — to crush

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