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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 120 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: rash · pass · swing · rule · mouse · row · firm · wake

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — a series
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — government
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — a line
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rule — a law
  23. firm — steady
  24. swing — in golf

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