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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: rash · pass · face · hide · straw · swing

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — music
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — a series
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — part of the head

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