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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: hide · pass · wound · swing · kick · key · nail · march

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. march — music
  23. swing — music
  24. key — the most important part

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