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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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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: snap · kick · nail · foot · bark · swing · present · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. swing — music
  3. present — there
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bark — to shout
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to click
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. swing — to play on

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