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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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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: pop · race · fine · straw · stand · pass · lash · swing

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. race — a contest
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — to bear
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stand — on your feet

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