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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. firm — decided
  3. current — happening now
  4. cell — a phone
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — a company
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — bread
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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