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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: cap · hide · lie · pass · rush · sharp · present · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — a hat
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. swing — music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — to recline

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