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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: snap · firm · squash · fork · swing · arm · pound · rush

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. firm — decided
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — part of the body

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