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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: wake · lean · pass · row · cell · swing · cabinet · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — a trail
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — steady
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cell — in biology
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a line
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — decided
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pass — to spend time

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