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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.

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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: nail · swing · key · hide · pop · rash · bore · lean

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — soda
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — for a lock
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — a series
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. swing — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — in music
  24. bore — to tire

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