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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 · dip · rush · calf · bass · board · capital · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. swing — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — finally
  17. capital — a city
  18. last — final
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — to get on
  23. capital — money
  24. bass — the fish

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