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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: squash · mine · swing · firm · race · toast · rush · bound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — decided
  17. swing — in golf
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. swing — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. toast — bread
  24. swing — to play on

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