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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 · toast · capital · last · deal · wave · rash · jam

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. rash — a series
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. capital — money

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