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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: tear · safe · race · swing · firm · stick

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. swing — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. firm — a company
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. firm — decided
  18. race — humankind

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