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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: nail · snap · swing · firm · rule · toast

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — decided
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — in golf
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — a law
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. firm — steady
  13. snap — to click
  14. swing — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — a company
  18. nail — for a hammer

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