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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: safe · current · lie · swing · chair · wind · object · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — finally
  6. current — of water
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — final
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. current — electric
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — happening now
  16. object — to protest
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — an aim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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