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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 120 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 · nail · stand · swing · spell · mine · calf · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. spell — letters
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — for digging
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — belonging to me

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