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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · rash · pass · roll · craft · swing · cold · last

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. swing — in golf
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — a skill
  7. roll — a list
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — finally
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. last — final
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — not warm
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — a cake

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