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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: wave · swing · temple · firm · rash · land · bowl · snap

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. land — a country
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rash — a series
  8. snap — to click
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — ground
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — to come down
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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