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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: swing · race · cap · shower · mark · snap · pass · saw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — the arms race
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — a contest
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — a lid
  22. swing — music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — to spend time

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