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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rest — a break
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — the fruit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — to play on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — in golf

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