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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · swing · toast · rash · squash · staff · suit · ground

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rash — a series
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ground — crushed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — not warm
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cold — an illness
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — to fit

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