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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: swing · saw · can · rest · firm · staff · current · wake

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rest — a break
  9. wake — a trail
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — of water
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — music

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