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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 116 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: firm · swing · rush · race · saw · cell · suit · lean

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — in golf
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — in cards
  6. race — humankind
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. firm — steady
  14. race — a contest
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. race — the arms race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — music

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