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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · hand · nail · swing · object · rest · can · snap

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — in music
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hand — help
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — a break
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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