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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: saw · snap · swing · squash · firm · last · safe · chair

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. swing — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — final
  11. chair — a leader
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. firm — a company
  14. swing — in golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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