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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: lash · rush · swing · charge · firm · fall · snap · kid

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — to tease
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — to play on
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — decided
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kid — child
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — to hurry

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