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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — humankind
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chest — a box
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — to bend
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — a contest

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