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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: prune · rest · swing · nail · wake · mine · fine · last

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — all right
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. last — finally
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. last — to go on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — final

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