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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: lash · game · can · bound · nail · swing · ground · wake

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. swing — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — certain
  16. ground — a position
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ground — crushed

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