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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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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: pass · straw · staff · fall · race · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — humankind
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. race — a contest

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