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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: lean · date · mark · pass · sharp · swing · straw · can

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — in golf
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — a permit

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