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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: race · stand · last · swing · rash · suit · mark · lie

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. suit — to fit
  4. race — humankind
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. swing — to play on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — to go on
  24. swing — in golf

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