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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 · snap · squash · temple · key · deal · clip · current

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. swing — music
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — a video
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. key — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. current — electric
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the sport

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