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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: rest · stem · capital · lash · row · jam · rush · swing

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — hurry
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. row — a line
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. row — a quarrel

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