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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 120 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: firm · rush · stem · swing · cap · last · nail · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. last — final
  14. firm — a company
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. last — finally
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — decided

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