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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 116 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: pound · pass · mate · deal · can · swing · lash · squash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. swing — music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — a partner
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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