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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: swing · rest · snap · rash · board · fan · firm · tube

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — steady
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — decided
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. swing — to play on
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — a break
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. snap — to click

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