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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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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: saw · rush · lie · firm · press · swing · jam · rash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — in golf
  13. press — newspapers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — a publisher

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