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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 · jam · craft · pass · swing · hand · mug · lean

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rash — a series
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lean — thin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — to succeed

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