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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: firm · nail · current · last · swing · rock · prune · kick

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. firm — a company
  4. last — final
  5. swing — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — electric
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — in golf
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — to go on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. current — of water
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — music
  24. current — happening now

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