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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: wound · toast · wake · race · root · saw · swing · pass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — humankind
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — a permit
  8. race — a contest
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — bread
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — a trail
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. race — the arms race
  18. root — of a word
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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