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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: nail · jam · object · key · swing · present · face · branch

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — to protest
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — an aim
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to point toward

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