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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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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: swing · sharp · board · spring · mug · race · nail · kick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. race — humankind
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mug — a cup
  6. swing — to play on
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a face
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — the arms race

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