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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · toast · degree · lean · arm · swing · bound · nail

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. degree — temperature
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — music
  13. toast — bread
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — to bend
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lean — thin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — tied together
  21. degree — an amount
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. key — in music
  24. bound — obliged

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