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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: nail · snap · swing · firm · rule · toast · staff · tear

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — to rip
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to click
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rule — a law
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rule — government
  24. nail — for a hammer

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