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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: content · swing · snap · row · can · last · saw · arm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — final
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. last — to go on
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — finally
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to click
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — to be able to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. content — the amount
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. row — to paddle
  23. content — happy
  24. swing — to play on

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