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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: snap · squash · content · swing · file · toast · rest · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. file — a tool
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. content — the amount
  10. squash — to crush
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — a break
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — in golf
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — happy
  24. toast — bread

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