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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: swing · rush · lash · lean · snap · pit · shower · capital

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a city
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pit — a hole
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. capital — money
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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