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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · bat · hide · swing · cap · can

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — hurry

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