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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: kick · wound · nail · spring · dip · foot · mate · swing

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. foot — part of the body

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