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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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Word bank
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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: swing · rash · object · firm · cold · bear · tube · wave

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — to play on
  8. object — a thing
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — a series
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. object — an aim
  23. swing — music
  24. object — to protest

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